Comelec division cancels Duterte Youth party-list registration

Metro Manila, Philippines - The Commission on Elections (Comelec) Second Division ruled to cancel the registration of the Duterte Youth party-list, Chairperson George Garcia said on Wednesday, June 18.

In an interview, Garcia said the ruling is not yet final as the group could still file an appeal within five days from the resolution’s release.

“Pwede parin silang mag file ng motion for reconsideration upang maresolve ‘yan ng Commission En Banc (They can still file a motion for reconsideration to be resolved by the Commission En Banc),” he said.

The decision stems from the 2019 case filed by Kabataan party-list against Duterte Youth over allegations of non-registration with the Comelec, vote buying, and promoting violence.

Under Comelec’s resolution, the registration was canceled on the ground of “non-compliance with the jurisdictional and continuing requirements for registration of party-list.”

In the recent 2025 midterm polls, the Duterte Youth party-list won three seats in the House after gathering 2.3 million votes but Comelec withheld their proclamation over the said pending registration case.

A canceled registration would nullify Duterte Youth’s midterm run and the party-list nominees would not be able to take their seats in the 20th Congress.

Garcia said the Duterte Youth’s appeal would kickstart the process for its 2019 pending case on violating registration guidelines.

“Mayroon pang remedy at yan ay pang-unang proseso na kailangang i-resolve ng Comelec division ‘yung naturang kaso after almost five years na naka-pending ang kaso,” the poll chief said.

[Translation: There is still a remedy and that is the first process that has to be resolved by the Comelec division after the five years that the case has been pending.]

Meanwhile, ACT Teacher Party-list lauded Comelec’s “long overdue decision” and urged the poll body to uphold its ruling.

“The Duterte Youth party-list was never formed to uphold the genuine interests of Filipino youth. It was established as a red-tagging organization designed to benefit the Duterte family and their political machinery,” outgoing Rep. France Castro said in a statement.

“Kailangan nating siguraduhin na ang party-list system ay maglilingkod sa tunay na interes ng mga sektor na dapat nitong kinatawan, hindi sa mga pampulitikang pamilya na gumagamit nito para sa kanilang sariling kapakanan,” ACT Teachers Rep.-elect Antonio Tinio added.

[Translation: We need to make sure that the party-list system will serve the real interests of the sectors it is supposed to represent, not the political families who use it for their own benefit.]

The party-list named after former President Rodrigo Duterte also faced other petitions filed to nullify their registration including an accusation of material misrepresentation when it fielded overage nominees in 2019.

After the 2025 midterm elections, the Comelec launched a probe on Rep. Drixie Cardema’s surname, whose actual family name is allegedly Suarez.